Allium Hybrids

In this section, photos of Allium hybrids will be featured, mostly of the rhizomatous types, or Allium section Rhizididium. In addition we will reference hybrids described on other Allium subpages. Little is written about Allium hybridization in the wild and in cultivation, however hybridization does occur between certain groups of species, sometimes with reckless abandon. It's also interesting that species that are quite separated taxonomically and morphologically, can and do hybridize.

Allium albidum hybrid - The plant pictured is of one of the better seedlings resulting after several years of selecting among hybrid progeny derived from such species as A. nutans, A. senescens, and A. albidum, all of which freely hybridize with each other. This is one that shows a strong A. albidum influence, having smaller, tight heads of blooms, and very pale color, a sort of warm pinkish-white. With the shorter stems, even growth, and handsome clumps of shiny green strap leaves, it has great potential for further hybridizing. Photo by Mark McDonough.

Allium angulosum - hybrid to be named. This spontaneous seedling was a rare find in my garden, being a very full-headed, clean white form of this fairly well-known European rhizomatous onion. Notice something rather unique about this plant, it has a tendency to form a 2nd tier of blooms with a secondary flower stalk that pops out and above the primary flower globe! There is only one other species known to this: A. regelii. I do intend on naming and propagating this unique form of Allium angulosum. It flowers in June-July, on stems 16-18" tall. The shiny green strap foliage builds up into handsome clumps. In the photo, the blooms are emerging from the foliage of hardy Hibiscus hybrids. Photo by Mark McDonough.

Allium'Back to School' - this is one of my newest hybrid selections, the name indicating that it reaches peak flowering on September 1st just when the children go back to school. It has short foliage, and compact growth, but really clean fuzzy balls of pink on 10"-12" (25-30 cm) stems. Photo by Mark McDonough.

Allium cernuum x ? - This very beautiful form appeared in my garden last summer, certainly a cernuum-type plant, but with beautiful light pink flowers held in a more rounded held (rather than nodding), and the three inner tepals tending to form an upright cone around the ovary. Photo by Mark McDonough.

Allium cernuum x rubens - This was a rare find in the summer of 2002, growing amongst a series of potted plants of the small Asian species Allium rubens, surely a garden cross with Allium cernuum. The pots of A. rubens grow within a foot or two of A. cernuum. Sorry, it's not a great photo, but it's the only one I took. The floral characteristic is much like A. cernuum, except the flowers are small round orbs, showing the A. rubens influence. The flowers are also held sideways rather than nodding as in A. cernuum. An intriguing find. Photo by Mark McDonough.

Allium'Millenium' - is a plant that I named in the year 2000, a really nice clumping plant, with a large number of sturdy stems and bright rose flower globes appearing in August. Photos by Mark McDonough and Jay Yourch.

Allium nutans "selected hybrid, finger-leaf, large pale flower globes" - Here's a hybrid that has finger-like leaves that build up into attractive mounds, and a prolific display of large pale lavender globes in August. The are four photos in a progression of growth. Photos by Mark McDonough.

Allium nutans x ?stellatum - This is a peculiar plant that's more of an odd "franken-onion" than anything worth growing for its own sake. I suspect A. stellatum as one of the parents because it seems to be a species very willing to cross with such species as A. senescens and A. nutans. In the first image, the unopened buds can be seen, and the extremely winged, sharp-edged flanges to the stems and flower buds, with the spathe becoming thickened over the buds almost to attempt continuation of the flower stem itself. The flower buds and the inflorescences tend to be contorted, often with satellite sub-inflorescences popping out of the main inflorescences (a characteristic I've found in several nutans crosses). In the second image, the opened flowers can be seen, along with erratic small bulbils at the center. Certainly an oddity, but it might have some hybridization possibilities if some characteristics could be tamed. Photos by Mark McDonough.

Allium stellatum x nutans hybrid #1 - This is one of the most surprising intrasectional hybrids (hybrids between two different "subsections") that have spontaneously appeared in my garden in several forms. It is clearly the late summer blooming A. stellatum crossed with the heavy-textured A. nutans (also late blooming). A few of these hybrids are literal monstrosities, with freakishly shaped buds and flower stems, and contorted bloom heads. More rarely, they're something pretty. The form shown here is quite good, looking like A. stellatum in flower but with heavy winged stems, winged buds, nutans-like broad gray leaves that twist, and fine, substantial pink flowers held in the sideways sprays characteristic of stellatum. Out of bloom, one would guess that the plant to be a form of A. nutans or possible A. senescens (see second photo for foliage)! Photo by Mark McDonough.

Allium stellatum x senescens #2 - (could also be A. cernuum x senescens) - three photos. In the first view, looking down from above the flowers, the flowers don't look very remarkable and appear as a normal A. cernuum or A. stellatum plant. The Asian species A. senescens has dense hemispheres to nearly spherical heads of bloom, and as you'll see in the other two photos, the flowers of this spontaneous hybrid are held in very dense heads showing the strong A. senescens influence. Notice in the underside view when I lift the flowers up, how different the florets look, with short tepals showing the central green ovaries. The flowers are so densely packed that they can barely open, quite a difference from either A. cernuum or A. stellatum where the flowers are held aloft on long arching pedicels giving a very open appearance. Photos by Mark McDonough.